Signal system for elevators.



D. M. PERINE. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS. I APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1911.

Patented July 18, 1911.

' WITNESSES A ATTORNEY sired order.

ploy a commutator mechanism which may thereof.

by or forming UNITED {STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nAvIn PERINE, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL SYSTEM Application filed May 4,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, I)AVI1) M. Pmuxn, a citizen of the United siding in Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Signal Systems for Elevators, of which the following is a true and exact de; scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part My present invention has for its object to provide suitable automatic means in conunction with a. bank of elevators for indieating to each of the different elevator operators the exact instant at which the elevator operated by him should be moved away from a particular point. For instance the system may well be so arranged that each operator is notified at the instants at which he should startliis elevator up from the bot-tom floor and down from the top floor.

In a preferred arrangement for carrying out the invention as hereinafter disclosed, I provide .two signal devices for each elevator shaft located one at the top and the other at the bottom of the shaft. It will-be obvious, however, that there may be intermediate signal devices and that the signal- (levice or devices for each car may be carried by the car. 'lhe signal devices employed may be'lamps, bells, or other visual or audible signaling devices. For operating these devices in the regular and predetermined order I employ a timing mechanism with suitable connections between it and the si nal devices for controlling the actuation of the latter. In practice, I prefer to employ electrically actuated, signal ,devices and to employ a commutator mechanism operated a part of the timing mecha nism for making and breaking the electric circuiteonnections' for the signal devices and thereby operating the latter in the de- In many cases I prefer to embe adjusted to permit the elevators to be operated on different schedules at different.

times as may be desirable at different hours i of the day. a

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out.

with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

States of .hnerica, re-

FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 18, 1911.

1911. Serial No. 624,897.

l or a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying descriptive matter and drawing in which I have described and illustrated in a diagrammatic way apparatus embodying my invention.

Oi? the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of an elevator system provided with time controlled signal devices t'or a group of three elevators. Fig. 2 is a section on theline 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, v, A and A represent the three elevatorshafts and B, B and B represent the elevators respectively working in these shafts.

C, C and C represent electrically actuated signaling devices which may be bells, lamps, or other audible or visual signaling devices and are located at the bottoms of the shafts A, A and A respectively. A similar set of signaling devices D, D and D are arranged at the upper end of the shafts A, A and A respectively. For operating these various signaling devices at deter is one contact point for each of the Wheels. contact points being carried by II to Il, the and electrically connected to the shaft H O on which the whcels'H' to H are mounted. llach contact point arm is embedded in the corresponding 'wheel and has its free end exposed at the periphery of the wheel. The shaft II 6) is driven in a suitable manner by a suitable clock mechanism K. The contacts H carried by the six wheels H to H successively advanced angularly about the axis of the shaft H O with an angular difference of bet-ween each adjacent pair oi contact points. The shaft H 0 also carries a set of electric circuit making and breaking wheels I, I I", I. I and generally similar to the wheels II to I-Iinclusive, and alternately disposed with respect thereto. The wheels I to I inclusive, difi for from the wheels II to H inclusive only i in the placing and number of eontactpoints trio circuit making and breaking devices.

As shown each of these circuit making and breaking devices includes a spring contact memberG which has its free end normally bearing against the corresponding commutator wheel. A spring contact member F is provided which bears against the shaft H O and through the latter is electrically connected to all of the commutator wheel contacts H. An electrical connection is thus established between the contact member F and each contact finger G whenever the latter engages a contact point H carried by the corresponding commutator wheel, and this connection is brokenas soon as the movement of the Wheel carries the point, H out of engagement with the finger G;

Pivoted switches E, E E 13*, o and ll are electrically connected each to a corresponding one- 0f the six signal devices C, C ,'C D, D and D by the conductors c, a, 0 d, d and d respectively. These switches each have two operative positions, one being the full line and the otherthe dotted line position shown, and in addition each of these switches may be moved into an open position. When in the position shown in full lines 'in the drawing, the switch blades E to E inclusive, '.are in contact with the conductors G pertaining to the group of commutator wheels H to H inclusive and when shifted into the dotted line position the switch blades E to E 'make contact with the conductors Gr which pertain to the group of commutator wheels I to Iinclusive. Branch conductors 0 '0 0, d d and d connected atone end to .a corres onding one of the conductors c, c,

and d are connected at their-opposite ends to pivoted switch blades L, L",

i L, L, L", and L respectively. The switch blades L to L inclu'ive are movable to engage one or the other, or neither of a pair of contacts connected to a corresponding pair of conductors, c, 0 0 d, d and (i the arrangement being such as to permit of the simultaneous operation of the signal device at the bottom of one elevator shaft and the signal device at the top of one or the other ofthe other two shafts, as desired.

2;, designates the return connections between the various slgnal devices and the contact F and includes a suitable source of current as the battery Y.

It will be apparent that the various 1 switches and circuit connections provided permit of numerous variations in the manner and order of operating the'various signal devices independently of any change in the time controlling mechanism, and that one or more of the various signals may be cut out of operation whenever desirable by opening the appropriate switches.

In operation when the switch blades E,

to E, inclusive, are in full line position shown and the switches L to L are all open, as the commutator wheels are revolved by the clock mechanism K,-the signals C, C C, D, D and D. will be operated successively with the desired intervals between successive actuations. time interval between the successive operations of each signal device is two minutes, the various signal devices may be actuated successively at intervals of twenty seconds, and in the following order: C, D, C D

C, D, (l -and so on. The time interval be For instance, if the tween each successive signal actuation may be changed while preserving the same relative order of operation of the various signaling devices, by switching the switch blades E to E so that their upper ends on gage the conductors G, pertaining to the wheels I to I inclusive, respectively. Then if the time interval between successive op-,

erations of each of the devices is one minute, say, the interval between the successive actuations of the various signalv devices will be ten seconds. The arrangement with the switches E to E are all either in the full line or dotted line positions and the switches 1 L to L all open, may be regarded as the normal arrangement.

By appropriate adjustment of the switches in the two groups E told and L to L, pertaining to the signal devices at the top and bottom of any one elevator shaft these signal devices may be operated simultaneously with the signal devices at the bottom and top respectively of another elevator shaft without any change in the normal circuit connections for the last mentioned signal devices. For instance the signal devices at the top and bottom of the elevator shaft A may be operated simultaneously with the operation of the signal devices at the bottom and top respectively of the shaft A by opening the switches E and E and throwing'the switchesL' and L into their dotted line positions. Then if the commutator shaft makes one complete rotation in two minutes and the switches E and E-are in the full line positions the intervals between the simultaneous operation of the signals O and D and the following simultaneous operations of the signals C and D will be one minute, audit the switches E and E are in the dotted line positions the intervals between successive signal actuations will be thirty seconds. By shifting the switches L and L into the full line positions and opening the switches E and E the signal device C and D will be operated simnltaneously'with the signal devices 1) and C respectively.

WVhen the signal devices for two elevator shafts are coupled together for simultane ous operation in pairs in the manner indi cated in the preceding paragraph, the signal devices for the third elevator shaft may be operated on one or the other of its two normal schedules or may be cut out of operation, as desired. For instance, when the signal devices for the elevator shafts A and A are operated through the circuits, includ ing the switches E and E the signal de vices for the elevator shaft A may be operated on one or the other of its two regular schedulcsor be cut out of operation by throwing the switches 11 and E intotheir full line positions, or into their dotted line positions or intotheir open positions.

It will be apparent that it the circuit connections for the signal devices at the top and bottom of two elevator shafts be interrupted, as by opening the proper switches, E to E inclusive, the signal devices at the top and bottom of the shaft lellt in service may be operated in alternation, with time intervals between successive actuations either two minutes or one minute dependent on the position of the switch blades E to E. It will also be apparent that by increasing the nmnber of sets of commutator wheels ll to Tl" and I to I, the various signal devices may be operated on still another schedule The connnutator wheels ll to ll and l to I, while forming a part oil a single mechanical element, may be regarded as i'ormin in etl'ect two separate commutators revolving with the same speed relative to the clock mechanism. The etl'ectTproduccd by shitting' from one of these commntators to the other may obviously be obtained by the use of two mechanically separate commutators alternately brougl'it into operation, or with a single commutator, by changing the rotation of the comn'iut-ator with respect to the timing mechanisn'i as by means of speed changing gcars. While ordinarily and as shown, each of the commutator wheels in the same set H to II, have one electrical contact point each, and are mounted on the shaft H 0. so that each contact point on each wheel is set in an advanced position over the wheel next to it of 1/16 ot' a. revolution and commutator wheels I to I have two electrical. contact k points diametrically opposed, arranged on the shaft in similar manner, it will be understood that this is not necessary and would not be the case if it were desired to have time intervals between the ac'tnations of the signal devices at the top and bottom of one elevator shaft ditl'erent from the time interval between the actuations of signals at the top and bottom of one or more other elevator shafts.

While I have shown the invention as applied to a bank of three elevators, it will be understood that the invention is generally applicable for operating banks of elevators containing a greater number of individual elevators.

Il aving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In an cle 'ator system, the combination of a group ot' elevators, an. individual signal device for each of said cle 'ators, a timing mechanism and operatingconnections controlled by said timing mechanism for the various signal devices whereby the latter are operated in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

2. in an elevator system, the combination of a group of elevators, an individual signal device for each of said elevators, a timing mechanism, operating connections for the various signal devices controlled by said timing mechanism whereby the signal devices are operated in accordance with a predetermined schedule and provisions for adjusting said connections to change the schedule of operation.

3. in an elevator system, the combination with a group of elevators, an individual sig; naling' device toncac'n ot' said elevators, a timingmcchnnisni. operating connections for the various inal devices controlled by said timing mechanism whcrcbythe signal devices are operated in accm'dancewith a prcdctermincd schedule and provisions for cutting}; out certain of the signhl devices.

4. in an elevator system. the combination with a group of elevators. an individual signaling device for each oi v aid clcvators, a timing mcchani-sn'i. operating connections for the various signal devices controlled by said iming mechanism whereby the signal devices are operated in :u-cordancc with a prcdctcrmined schcdulc. i irovisions for adjusting said connections to cut certain of the signal lllYlllS out ol operation and change the schedule of operation of the remaininp deviccs.

In an elevator system. the con'ibination of a ,Q'XOlll) ot elevator shalts with elevators working thcrcin. a pair of signal devices tor each elevator shall arranged one at the too and one at the bottom of the shaft. a timing device operating connections tor the signal dcviccs controlled by said timingdcvice whereby the signal deviccs althe ltiottoms ot the shafts are. operated n regular progressions and the signal devices at the tops of the shafts are also operated in regular progression and the operations of of said elevators and a program clock controlling the operation of said signal devices and eifecting their actuation according to a predetermined schedule.

7. In an elevator system the combination of a group of elevators, an individual elec trically actuated signal device for each of said elevators, a timing mechanism, a rotating commutator driven thereby and electrical circuit connections controlled by said commutator to thereby effect the actuation of said signal devices in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

8. In an elevator system, the combination of a group of elevators, an individual electrically actuated signal device for each of said elevators, a timing mechanism and shift-able electrical circuit controlling provisions including a pair of rotating commutators, each adapted to be rotated by said tiining device, for effecting the operation of said signal devices according to one or the other of two schedules dependent upon Wll1Cl1 or the two coimnutators is operatlvely employed.

DAVID M. PERINE. \Vitnesses:

CHAS. \V. MORRIS, WVaLrnn C. Monnis. 

